Overpriced paternalism

I'm not fond of political pandering by either Party, yet was force-fed a ton of it during the Democratic convention.

John Edwards began honorably, attributing his success to hard-working parents and the fact that he worked his way through college: "My father worked in a mill all his life. ... My mother had a number of jobs ... to help pay for me go to college. I have had such incredible opportunities in my life, and I was blessed to be the first person in my family to go to college. I worked my way through, and I have had opportunities way beyond what I could have ever imagined. And the heart of this campaign -- your campaign -- is to make sure that everyone has those same opportunities that I had growing up."

That jarringly inconsistent conclusion -- the idea that it should now be the government's job to provide opportunity -- is obviously contradicted by his life story. Everyone with ambition and caring parents has always had "those same opportunities" John Edwards had.

Edwards then switched themes completely, suggesting success is just a matter of luck, not personal or family effort: "We still live in two different Americas: one for people who have lived the American Dream and don't have to worry, and another for most Americans who work hard and still struggle to make ends meet. ... We shouldn't have two different economies in America: one for people who are set for life, their kids and grandkids will be just fine, and then one for most Americans who live paycheck to paycheck. It doesn't have to be that way. We can strengthen and lift up your families."

It is hard to imagine a more arrogant, elitist notion than to claim "we" -- meaning the government -- "can strengthen and lift up your families." Keep your grimy political hands off my family, thank you very much.